• Professor Robert F. Krueger, Ph.D.
• Professor Jane Goodman-Delahunty, JD, PhD.

Professor Robert F. Krueger, Ph.D.,

Hathaway Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Thursday, 18 April 2013
9.30am – 10.30am

Implications of DSM-V Personality Disorders Criteria for Psychological and Psychiatric Expert Evidence.

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition; DSM-5) is slated to be published in May 2013.  I will describe how DSM-5 is (and is not) connected with empirical research in personality and individual differences, and how working to enhance the connection between Psychiatry and individual differences research can enrich both areas. I will focus in particular on issues that may arise in dealing with DSM-5 in forensic psychological practice.

Biography

Professor Krueger completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his clinical internship at Brown University.  Professor Krueger’s major interests lie at the intersection of research on personality, psychopathology, disorders of personality, psychometrics, and behavior genetics.  He has received a number of awards, including the University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, the American Psychological Association’s Award for Early Career Contributions, and an American Psychological Foundation Mid-Career Award. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and the American Psychopathological Association (APPA) and was inducted into the Society for Multivariate Experimental Psychology (SMEP).  He is currently Editor of the Journal of Personality Disorders and also served on the DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Workgroup.

Professor Jane Goodman-Delahunty, JD, PhD.

Abstract: Psychological Injuries from Workplace Harassment - the Science, the Law, and the Ethics

Forensic evaluation of compensation claims following alleged workplace harassment, bullying and discrimination is a complex task, but most anti-discrimination legislation offers little guidance on assessing compensable damages.  A five-stage model to increase the accuracy of assessments of the presence, nature, cause, scope and duration of consequential psychological injuries is proposed.  This model offers a process for forensic examiners to conceptualize and implement strategies to formulate defensible, evidence-based reports that meet legal and ethical standards.  Theories of causation are incorporated to aid the evaluating psychologist to rule out alternate causes and malingering, and determine whether discrimination was a likely proximate cause of observed harm.  Drawing on scientific research, the assessment focus is on functional performance (cognitive, affective, interpersonal and physical) in four key contexts: activities of daily living, relationships, the workplace and hedonic pursuits.  The model guides forensic psychologists to address key topics of interest to courts and tribunals: (a) common issues following exposure to workplace discrimination; (b) less obvious manifestations of emotional distress; (c) functional impairment in specific contexts; (d) an appropriate diagnosis; (e) how discrimination produced a psychological injury of the magnitude and duration experienced by the claimant, taking into consideration the complainant’s unique personal history, coping skills, and life circumstances; and (f) future harm duration.   By systematically comparing functioning in the complainant’s life before the alleged discrimination with the complainant’s condition at the time of the alleged discrimination, and any symptoms or reactions experienced subsequently,  ethical dilemmas are resolved and errors and biases minimized.  Forensic practitioners have much to offer in facilitating more systematic determinations of psychological injuries caused by workplace discrimination.

Biography

Jane is a Research Professor at Charles Sturt University School of Psychology and Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security.  Trained in law and experimental psychology, her expertise is the application of empirical methods to inform legal practice and policy.  Her research is funded by the Australian Research Council, the Australian Institute of Criminology, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NSW Police.  She is a Fellow and past President of the American Psychology-Law Society and current President of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law.  She practiced at the Bar in Washington, was an Administrative Judge for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a third-party neutral with JAMS The Resolution Experts.  She was Editor of the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual, and Psychology, Public Policy and Law.  Previously, she directed the Postgraduate Program in Forensic Psychology at the University of New South Wales and served on the NSW Law Reform Commission. Her current appointments include the Australian Criminology Research Council Panel and the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal Community Services Division.  Jane has published over 100 peer-reviewed books and scholarly articles and is a regular media commentator on psychology-law issues.